Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“It’s not safe here. Especially when you’re not at your full strength,” Elio said, trying to sway him.
“I’ll eat and drink. I’ll be back to normal by tomorrow,” Matej insisted. “I’m not leaving my home.”
“I understand,” Elio said, even if I was struggling to. I couldn’t imagine trying to sleep in a house of horrors like this. Not even after the blood and brain matter was cleaned up. “But I am going to help,” he said. “No one should be trying to do this alone,” he said. “For now, please, let’s sit,” he said, grabbing another sports drink out of the fridge before leading Matej back out to the living room, leaving Anthony and I alone.
“I am going to help too,” Anthony said. “I can’t imagine what he’s going through. He shouldn’t do this alone.”
“I want to help,” I said, checking my phone.
“But you need to get back to Fury,” he concluded.
“Yeah. I mean, I have a while, but…”
Anthony looked torn at that. Between wanting to stay here and do a good deed and come back with me.
As if I needed more reasons to like the man.
“I can go back to the city by myself. I’m a big girl,” I said. “I’ve been taking care of Fury by myself.”
“I know. Just…” he said, waving around the kitchen.
“I will be safely in the studio most of the time. I mean, how long could it take? Five hours or so? It’s not like you’re trying to pass a forensics analysis. Just make it habitable again.”
“True,” he agreed, still not liking the arrangement.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. “I just feel bad that I can’t help more.”
“Actually, you can,” Elio said as he came back into the kitchen.”
“How?” I asked.
“We need supplies. But we need to look like we’re not trying to hide bodies,” he said. “Bleach, gloves, paper towels…”
“How many stores carry that shit on Staten Island?” Anthony asked.
“Within a reasonable distance? Ten.”
“I’ll get the bleach,” I offered. “Figure people are less likely to suspect a woman of trying to hide bodies,” I said, shrugging. “I think I can reasonably get two gallons at two different stores without anyone thinking twice about it.”
With that, we got Matej some more food, found him a few of his weapons, then headed to the stores to get everything we needed.
“Want a snack or something? Anthony asked, waving toward the shelves at the last store.
“No. I’m… not hungry,” I admitted, stomach still a little twisty from the blood and the story Matej told.
“Never thought I’d hear that,” Anthony said, taking the paper towels from me, and putting them up on the belt with his.
“I know, right?” I agreed. Not even the sour gummy worms in the checkout lane looked tempting.
When we made it back to the parking lot, Elio was coming back with a box of gloves to add to our stash that already filled the trunk and spilled out into the backseat next to me.
“You guys are going to need to buy or rent a carpet cleaner,” I reminded them. At their pinched brows, I shook my head. “The mattress. A surface clean isn’t going to cut it. Carpet clean it, and then buy one of those rubbery bed bags to put it in before you get rid of it.”
“Gotten rid of a lot of bloodstained mattresses, huh?” Elio asked, shooting me a smirk in the rearview. “We will unload all of this shit, then Ant can drive you back to the ferry,” he said.
With that, we drove back to the house and unpacked the carload of supplies as well as more drinks and food for Matej. Along with some mouthwash for his missing tooth gap, and a bunch of first-aid supplies to clean up his wounds.
“These things were a damn good idea,” Anthony said as he reached down to remove the booties covering his shoes as we moved out onto the back deck.
“It’ll make life easier,” I agreed. I’d also convinced them to buy white tees and cheap pajama pants to change into to clean. That way they could bleach the shit out of them in the wash, get back into their clothes, and have no trace evidence on them. “Gonna have to ask Silvano if he knows all these tricks,” he added.
“Who is Silvano?” I asked.
“He’s who the Family uses to… clean things up,” he said.
“Saylor,” Matej called, making me turn back to look at him leaning in the doorway, still looking weak and sad, but trying his best to stay upright.
“Yeah?”
“I will make things right,” he vowed.
“Don’t worry about that,” I said, shaking my head. Suddenly, my missing supply of guns felt really fucking small in the face of this man’s losses. “Focus on getting yourself well again.”
“I will make it right,” he said, voice stronger.
“Okay,” I agreed, knowing he wouldn’t let it drop. “But there’s no rush,” I added.